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A review by savvylit
Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Hell Bent disappointed me. Where Ninth House was an engaging and character-driven fantasy/mystery, Hell Bent was not. Perhaps it's unfair to expect a sequel to match its predecessor, but I really had hoped for more.
Hell Bent had practically zero character development. Granted, readers do already know the whole cast from the first book. However, that doesn't make following the adventures of incredibly two-dimensional people enjoyable. One of the most interesting characters in this series is Darlington. He ultimately barely says or does anything in Hell Bent, which I found frustrating. I would love to know more about Darlington. I also desperately want him and Alex to acknowledge their attraction to one another.
Lastly, what is with the plot of this novel? It's absolutely all over the place. Readers are taken on a disjointed journey from Yale to Hell and Yale to Hell. Meanwhile, there's a new professor leading Lethe and some murders have occurred on campus. AND Alex is a bounty hunter for her former drug dealer/enemy Eitan. The inclusion of Eitan drove me nuts! That entire subplot felt like it was just included to make the final scenes go smoothly (IYKYK).
All in all, this sequel left me wishing that Ninth House was a standalone.
Hell Bent had practically zero character development. Granted, readers do already know the whole cast from the first book. However, that doesn't make following the adventures of incredibly two-dimensional people enjoyable. One of the most interesting characters in this series is Darlington. He ultimately barely says or does anything in Hell Bent, which I found frustrating. I would love to know more about Darlington. I also desperately want him and Alex to acknowledge their attraction to one another.
Lastly, what is with the plot of this novel? It's absolutely all over the place. Readers are taken on a disjointed journey from Yale to Hell and Yale to Hell. Meanwhile, there's a new professor leading Lethe and some murders have occurred on campus. AND Alex is a bounty hunter for her former drug dealer/enemy Eitan. The inclusion of Eitan drove me nuts! That entire subplot felt like it was just included to make the final scenes go smoothly (IYKYK).
All in all, this sequel left me wishing that Ninth House was a standalone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Stalking, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence